Goodyear was established in 1917 with the purchase of 16,000 acres (65 km2) of land by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company to cultivate cotton for vehicle tire threads. World War II was important to Goodyear in the 1940s as the current Phoenix Goodyear Airport was built, but after the war, the economy suffered. Goodyear became a town on November 19, 1946.[3] At the time, it had 151 homes and 250 apartments, a grocery store, a barber shop, beauty shop and a gas station.

In January 1965, a harness racing track opened. At the time, there was no Interstate 10 or any major roads from Phoenix to Goodyear for access to the track. It closed under two years later, but still stands, and has not been used since then. It is located south of Interstate 10 and is clearly visible from the freeway.

The town became a city in 1985. In the same decade, the remaining 10,000 acres (40 km2) of the original farmland was sold for future development. The Phoenix Goodyear Airport received its current name in 1986.[4]

Throughout the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, new homes and communities brought the population increasing rapidly. Goodyear continues to grow as more communities and homes are continuing to be built. Goodyear's population is projected to be 358,000 by 2035.[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 116.5 square miles (302 km2), all of it land. The Gila River passes through the city. The largest master planned community is Estrella,[7] south of the Gila River, located near the Estrella Mountains.

The Estrella Mountain Regional Park covers almost 20,000 acres (31 sq mi), which most of that area is still desert. It contains eight trails over 30 mi (48 km) in length combined, two baseball fields, and a 9.5 mi (15.3 km) track.[8]

Goodyear has a subtropical desert climate (Köppen: BWh) due to its location in the Sonoran Desert. The city receives over ten inches of rain annually. However, the city receives over 300 sunny days per year.

Winters are mild and temperate, with lows in the upper 30s to the lower 50s and highs ranging from 60 to 75. Spring is warm with highs easily going over 90 in April and 100 in May. Summers are very hot, with many of the days with highs over 110. Falls are still very warm, with temperatures commonly going over 90 in October.

Snow is rare in the area, occurring once every several years. Lows in the winter occasionally dip below freezing, which may damage some desert plants such as saguaros and other cacti. In the summer (mainly July, August and early September), the North American Monsoon can hit the Phoenix area in the afternoon and evening (possibly continuing overnight), causing rain showers even from a sunny morning. Dust storms are occasional, mainly during the summer.

As of 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that there were 65,275 people residing in the city. 71.9% of the city's population was White, 6.7% were Black, 1.3% were Native American, and 4.3% were Asian. 27.8% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 25,027 housing units in the city.[11] 31% of the population is between ages 35 and 49.

As of 2000[update], there were 18,911 people, 6,179 households, and 4,986 families residing in the city. The population density was 162.4 people per square mile (62.7/km²). There were 6,771 housing units at an average density of 58.1 per square mile (22.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.13% White, 5.20% African American, 1.06% Native American, 1.71% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 10.87% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races. 20.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,179 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.1% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were non-families. 14.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $57,492, and the median income for a family was $60,707. Males had a median income of $40,702 versus $28,410 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,506. About 3.6% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Goodyear has a council-manager form of government. The current mayor is Georgia Lord (with a term from 2009-2013). The vice mayor of the city is Joanne Osborne (with a term from 2011-2015). The mayor has a two-term limit. There are six councilmembers with three-term limits.[12]

There is only one campus in the city, a Franklin Pierce University campus, after the New Hampshire-based university signed a lease with the city to purchase 30 acres (120,000 m2) of land, existing since 2008.[19] It offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy program and other health care related programs.[20]

Goodyear is known as a bedroom community, while it is a developing residential suburb of Phoenix. More new homes are being built in master-planned communities.

Goodyear Centerpointe is a shopping center located on the intersection of Estrella Parkway and McDowell Road. Toys R Us, Old Navy, Party City and several other stores are located there. The future Estrella Falls Regional Mall will be more than 300 acres (0.47 sq mi) large and bring 2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m2) of shopping. It includes The Market at Estrella Falls Power Center and the Estrella Falls Super Regional Mall.[21]

A cotton field

Agriculture, like the Imperial Valley in Southern California and a lot of southern Arizona, is common in the area, and has been for a long time because of irrigation and canals. Cotton and vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, and spinach are mainly grown on farms. The climate is also good for growing citrus fruits and oranges.

Goodyear was founded back in 1917, but the majority of construction and population growth was after 1995. 22 communities that are completed and under construction have a total area of approximately 20,000 acres (31 sq mi). These communities, along with another 21 communities for future suburban development, will contain almost 200,000 homes, with only 25,000 built.[23]

Goodyear, as well as other Arizona cities, got affected in the 2000s American housing bubble, reducing home values.

Estrella is the largest community in Goodyear, at 20,000 acres (31 sq mi) large. The community is home to about 10,000 residents. Palm Valley, located north of Interstate 10, is 9,000 acres (14 sq mi) large, with variously-sized homes. PebbleCreek is a community for active adult living, with 45 holes of championship golf, fitness centers, and restaurants.

Goodyear is known for its spring training sessions. The Cleveland Indians of baseball's American League moved their spring training facility to Goodyear from Winter Haven, Florida and rejoined the Cactus League in February 2009, after a 15-year absence. Before that, the Indians held spring training for many years in Tucson. On April 7, 2008, Goodyear's city council unanimously approved a memorandum to fund a new $33 million baseballspring training complex for Major League Baseball'sCincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians. This includes a 10,000-seat park, Goodyear Ballpark that opened in 2009. The Reds and the Indians will have separate offices, clubhouses and practice fields. The Indians, who had held their spring training in Tucson for many years until moving to Winter Haven in 1993, agreed to return their spring training location back to Arizona on December 21, 2006.

Other roads and highways serve the area. Loop 303 starts as Cotton Lane then heads up north to Surprise and then to Interstate 17. Van Buren Street, McDowell, Indian School and Camelback Roads are major arterial roads leading from the extreme western Phoenix area to past Scottsdale, in the east. MC 85 (Maricopa County Highway 85) is a highway running from Arizona State Route 85 in Buckeye to central Phoenix. The highway passes the southern sections of Goodyear.

Interstate 10 was built through Goodyear in the late 20th-century. Between 2008 and 2012, the road had significant expansions. It was expanded from 2 lanes in each direction to 5 or 6 (including one HOV lane starting near Estrella Parkway going east).

The Arizona Department of Transportation is building a new interchange near the Interstate 10/Loop 303 junctions. The interchange is becoming a stack interchange from a diamond interchange. As a result, Loop 303 under Interstate 10 has been cleared, and Exit 124 on Interstate 10 has been shut down; the new interchange is under construction. The I-10/Loop 303 interchange is expected to be completed in 2014.

South of Interstate 10, Loop 303 is being planned to extend to a future State Route 30.[25]